R. Kelly Fears For His Life In Prison, Wants Solitary Confinement
R. Kelly is apparently scared for his life in prison. The troubled singer reportedly fears retaliation from fellow inmates who are aware that he’s accused of raping underage girls.
The “Down Low” singer’s attorney, Nicole Blank Becker, told TMZ that during a recent visit with Kelly in federal prison, the embattled artist said that solitary confinement helps because he thinks that his life would be in serious danger if he was kept with the general population.
But although the singer believes that solitary would be better for him, his attorney said that it’s actually problematic because he won’t have anyone to support him. The singer and songwriter is illiterate and that makes even the most mundane task very hard, such as reading what’s on the commissary list, according to her.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer has access to a phone for a total of 15 minutes a month to speak to his family and friends. In the general population, prisoners have access to the phone all of the time. Solitary also has no access to television or the internet. On July 11, the troubled singer was arrested in Chicago on federal sex crime charges, reported News 4. The arrest came five months after Kelly was released on bail for additional sexual abuse charges in Illinois. Kelly, 52, was walking his dog when he was arrested by Homeland Security Investigation agents and NYPD Public Safety Task Force.
He received a 13-count indictment in federal court for the Northern District of Illinois, which includes charges of child pornography, enticement of a minor, and obstruction of justice, U.S. attorney spokesman Joseph Fitzpatrick told The Associated Press.
Glennisha Morgan is a Detroit-bred multimedia journalist and writer. She writes about intersectionality, hip-hop, pop culture, queer issues, race, feminism, and her truth. Follow her on Twitter @GlennishaMorgan.
